A photo journey through the Sossusvlei Dunes, Namibia

Posted on May 7, 2017

When planning our Namibian road trip, the awe-inspiring sand dunes of Sossusvlei sat atop of our list of must sees. We spent hours poring over various websites, books, documentaries, and of course Instagram, searching for a true representation of Namibia’s no.1 tourist attraction. All had spoken of epic dunes (some as high as buildings), unique Mars-like landscapes, and an eerie feeling of complete isolation.

So to finally be standing amongst the giant orange mounds of sand, some over 5 million years of age, was completely surreal. We felt like imposters on a foreign planet as we traversed dunes, followed footsteps into the unknown, enjoyed a sundowner, and spent hours photographing the oldest and driest corner of the planet.

The memories from Sossusvlei will be forever etched in our minds. While words and photos will never adequately describe what we saw, we do hope that this journey through our lens will give you some idea of its grandeur – and perhaps even inspire you to make your own journey there (we certainly hope you do!).

DESOLATE, YET BEAUTIFUL

Even in the cool of our air-conditioned rental car, the distinction between man and wild feels vague as we roll through the Namibian desert. Ahead, the horizon that never seems to get any closer to dips and wavers in the afternoon heat. Sand settles in the cracked potholes on the road – tarred, a rare occurrence – lying in wait for a lone passing car to whip them up into a frenzy again. “How hot do you think it is?” I ask, rolling down the window before Mark can protest. A blast of dusty, hot air rushes in, scorching away any moisture in the car. We reach for the lip balm at the same time as I hastily try to shut the desert out again. We’ve been on the road about 7 hours so far, rolling on and on through pastel sands and rocky outcrops en route to the iconic orange sand dunes of Sossusvlei. Desolate yet beautiful, there’s an immense sense of wilderness and possibility in this open road.

STRUCK BY A SENSE OF OVERWHELMING BREATHLESSNESS

Thanks to a mix of chronic disorganisation, wrong turns, and ‘winging it’, we arrive at the Sossusvlei National Park with two hours spare before the gates shut and leave us to the mercy of the freezing desert for the night. We slide ourselves into the last shuttle jeep, and soon we’re bouncing and drifting through calf-height sands on our way to Deadvlei, the white clay pan that has become an iconic Namibian image. Sliding to a stop, we’ve got about an hour to dash through the sand and over a few small dunes to the pan and back again. A crucial lesson here: desert sand dunes always look smaller, easier to climb, and nowhere near as scalding hot than they really are. It could just be exhaustion and dust, but as we finally look out from the lip of the last dune at the pan below for the first time, we’re struck by a sense of overwhelming breathlessness.

WE’VE STEPPED STRAIGHT INTO A VAN GOGH PAINTING

Where a river artery once flowed hundreds of years ago, Deadvlei, a large clay pan filled in by drought and blowing sand from the dunes now stands. Most famous for the haunting 900 year old fossils of long-dead Acacia trees that stand in the basin, it’s a forest frozen in time forever. The white clay, blackened trees, tangerine sands, and bright blue skies make for the most vivid contrast – like we’ve rolled off a sand dune straight into a Van Gogh painting. It’s hard not to feel a sense of reverence as you walk amongst the towering carcasses; after all, they’ve stood defiant against the searing elements for centuries. It’s surreal, weird and achingly beautiful.

SHOULD WE CLIMB IT?

How do you convey the true scale of the perfectly sculpted sand mountains of Sossusvlei? By climbing them! After successfully making it out of the national park the night prior, we’re back early the next morning to make the most of our time exploring. This means we’re the first to arrive at the popular Dune 45 and Mark wastes no time in starting the trek up the ridge. With each step the soft sand gives way under his feet, sliding him halfway back again. He’s the tiny speck you see on the dune ridge here, less than a quarter of the way up, and more than twenty minutes after starting his climb.

VIEWS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

It’s long, tiring, and tough, but eventually Mark reaches the top of Dune 45. Taking it all in from above, the burnt orange landscape of Sossusvlei is some of the most unique scenery we’ve come across. Mars? Earth? It strikes just how desolate and isolated this part of the world is; no highrises here, just views as far as the eye can see. No photo will ever be able to convey the enormity of Dune 45, but if you squint really hard, you might be able to spot our car parked at the end of the path. After admiring the view for a while, the slide back down the dune was a far more enjoyable journey than the way up!

WONDERFULLY LOST AMONGST MOUNTAINS OF SAND

Our mission post Dune 45 is to reach Hidden Vlei, a smaller pan in the Sossusvlei region. With the heat already bearing down on us, even 2 kilometres feels like a marathon journey lies ahead. Stuffing as many bottles of water as we can into our backpacks, we take off towards where the faded tin sign’s arrow points. The ambiguous directions leave us a little unnerved, but the distant dunes act as a magnet, luring us in. It’s not long before we’re wonderfully lost amongst the perfectly sculpted mountains of sand.

SURVIVAL AGAINST ALL ODDS

Fighting against all odds to succeed in an environment where nothing else could; it sounds like a Hollywood movie script. Except this isn’t the story of Rocky the underdog boxer, but the tale of a lone camel thorn tree’s survival in a vast, dry, expanse of desert that we stumble upon in Hiddenvlei. Everywhere we look in Namibia nature wears its resilience on her sleeve, putting on a brave fight against it’s own limitations. It’s simply awe-inspiring.

“CHEERS”

Long hot days spent traversing desert dunes are best ended one way: enjoying a traditional sundowner on the balcony of your glamping hut. Our accommodation is on the edge of the national park, and our back verandah looks directly out over the expanse of desert – perfect sunset viewing territory. There’s a Hemingway quote that says: “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy”. While we completely agree, we’d also say that we never knew of a sunset in Africa that didn’t make us feel extremely fortunate to be alive. “Cheers,” Mark says, as we settle to watching the sky set fire to the endless Namibian horizon.

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We're Mark & Miranda, aka The Common Wanderer, an Aussie couple with a love of travel, adventure, writing and photography. We inspire and empower our readers to seek out the less explored corners of the earth through in-depth stories, travel tips, photography and wanderlust. Follow our journey through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.